{"id":143520,"date":"2025-10-24T21:47:19","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T21:47:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/143520\/"},"modified":"2025-10-24T21:47:19","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T21:47:19","slug":"once-seen-as-inflation-proof-banana-prices-are-up-5-4-since-april","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/143520\/","title":{"rendered":"Once seen as ‘inflation-proof,’ banana prices are up 5.4% since April"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bananas aren’t the only thing that’s gotten more expensive, of course. The prices of everyday goods like clothing, household supplies and groceries have risen steadily since April, with the year-over-year inflation rate climbing from 2.9% to 3% in September, according to Friday’s CPI report.<\/p>\n

But bananas stand out because they’ve “long been regarded as ‘inflation-proof,’ with prices remaining stable for decades,” says Brandon Parsons, a practitioner of economics at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School.<\/p>\n

Trump’s tariffs seem to have changed that, says Parsons.<\/p>\n

While a White House executive order that went into effect on Sept. 8 offered tariff relief<\/a> for “certain agricultural products not grown or produced in sufficient quantities in the U.S.,” the exemption applies only to countries with new reciprocal trade agreements.<\/p>\n

None of the top suppliers of bananas \u2014 Guatemala, Ecuador, Honduras and Costa Rica \u2014 qualify, meaning the tariffs remain in effect, with rates as high as 15%, says Tom Stenzel, executive director of the Banana Importers Association.<\/p>\n

“The facts are that tariffs are in effect,” says Stenzel.\u00a0“While they certainly add cost to the supply chain, how they affect retail pricing likely varies,” depending on the store.<\/p>\n

‘The end of an era’<\/p>\n

“Given that U.S. inflation has cumulatively been around 50% over the last 15 years, the price of bananas should be around $1 a pound today,” even though it’s barely moved to 67 cents<\/a>, Parsons says. “That highlights just how stable banana prices have been, historically.”<\/p>\n

Perhaps the most emblematic example of banana price stability is at Trader Joe’s. The grocery chain held its 19-cent banana price for more than two decades before raising it to 23 cents in early 2024 after years of absorbing gradually rising costs \u2014 a move shoppers dubbed “the end of an era,” according to The Guardian<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Bananas have largely remained inexpensive because they’re plentiful, cheap to grow and spoil quickly, forcing sellers to move inventory fast<\/a> instead of holding out for higher prices. Most come from Central America, where low costs and ideal climate conditions allow for year-round farming.<\/p>\n

“Bananas can’t be stockpiled, and U.S. growers can’t turn up production to replace imports, so we absolutely should expect a 10% tax on banana imports to drive banana prices higher,” says Erica York, vice president at the Tax Foundation.<\/p>\n

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